BenefitsWire

“The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently released a proposed rule (91 Fed. Reg. 46,602 (proposed July 23, 2026)) regarding electronic disclosures for most required communications related to ERISA group health plans as an alternative to the 2002 rule set forth at 29 C.F.R. Section 2520.104b-1(c). Under this newly proposed Safe Harbor rule (the “Safe Harbor”), the DOL would allow electronic disclosures by group health plans under certain requirements that are very analogous to the DOL rule.” MORE >>

Source: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

“The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury (the Departments) issued final rules updating the Transparency in Coverage rules. These rules require group health plans and health insurers to publish negotiated rates and allowed amounts for medical services in machine-readable files (MRFs). The final rules address feedback by stakeholders on the original rules related to the need to address certain gaps in the reporting, shrink the size of the files by reducing duplication and removing unnecessary data, and to improve the usability of the data. For group health plan sponsors, one of the significant changes under the final rules is an attestation requirement.” MORE >>

Source: aon.com

“The Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing and the ERISA Industry Committee are asking the CMS to stop approving arbiters until it implements more rigorous standards. The NSA was passed in 2020 to protect patients from unexpected out-of-network medical bills. But the law’s arbitration process, in which designated mediators resolve payment disputes between insurers and providers, has raised disputes of its own. Insurers and providers have particularly been at loggerheads over independent dispute resolution, with each side arguing that it unfairly advantages the other. But federal data suggests providers are reaping outsized awards from IDR. Doctors and medical groups have filed significan” MORE >>

Source: Healthcare Dive

“As of October 28, 2026, 11 carriers have announced that they will exit the ACA Marketplaces in plan year 2027, either in some or all states that they are currently offering plans; seven carriers have announced they will enter new state Marketplaces. These changes in insurer participation follow the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits at the end of 2025, which drove sign-ups to fall by over a million from the 2025 to 2026 Open Enrollment Periods—with further membership declines in the ACA Marketplaces expected as the year progresses.” MORE >>

Source: KFF